Bad Blood
by Thirrin73
Summary: Sakura's summer takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that her boyfriend is a vampire and she finds herself thrust headfirst into a centuries-long feud. [HidaSaku, some MadaSaku]
1. Prologue

**_Bad Blood_**

 **\- Prologue -**

 **: :**

Hidan never considered himself to be very charismatic.

Sure, his god-like good looks turned heads and the whole vampire pheromone thing made it really easy to get dates, but sometimes he just really couldn't keep his mouth shut.

 **: :**

It was a fairly normal day, pleasantly overcast and not too crowded on the metro for once. Hidan was looking forward to nice long nap at home, trying to ignore the other people on the train and focus more on the blood tablets waiting at home and less on the scents bombarding his sensitive nose.

He let out a huff and leaned back in his seat, peering over his shoulder to watch the scenery pass by behind him. The train stopped at another station and his foot started tapping impatiently, eyebrows furrowed at the new scents that entered the compartment. One scent in particular instantly caught his attention and he couldn't help himself from watching as the source made her way to a seat across from him.

Hidan stared long and hard at the girl, trying to decipher her smell as he took in her appearance.

She smelled _sweet,_ all floral and fruity and shit with only the barest undertone of iron. Hell, she even _looked_ as good as she smelled.

Pink hair pulled back in a braid draped over her shoulder, floral-print shorts, a loose shirt that did little to hide her well toned arms - damn, the chick was _fit_ \- , and quite possibly the greenest eyes he'd ever seen.

Not that she was looking at him.

No, pinky was focused on some book in her hand, quite obviously unaware of him.

Hidan found that a little frustrating and, with another glance at her equally well-toned legs - she looked like she could crush a man's skull between her thighs - , he put a little more effort into releasing that handy pheromone, if only to get the girl to acknowledge him.

Not even a glance.

Several other metro patrons were sending him glances, one guy a few seats down was very obviously blushing, but the pink-haired girl hadn't looked up from her book.

Well, shit.

Eyebrows furrowed, Hidan leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he scrutinized her. He wasn't sure how long he stared so intently at her but, suddenly, she glanced up, those green eyes meeting his violet ones and he was surprised to realize that she looked _pissed._

She pinned him with a glare so hard he could have sworn his decrepit heart gave a little flutter.

He didn't even realize he was still staring at her with that scrutinizing look until she eventually gave an irritated snort, snapping her book shut as she sat up, glare never leaving his face.

"What?" She demanded and Hidan would later be embarrassed to admit that he _really_ enjoyed the sound of her voice. "Are you gonna keep staring at me, creep? What's your problem?"

A couple hundred thoughts flew through Hidan's mind, but none formed a coherent enough sentence for him to give her a reply. Instead, he sat up as well, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyebrows furrowed further and he inwardly searched for something to say. Unfortunately, the only thing that came out, much to his horror, was a very blunt, "Your hair's fuckin' pink."

Her glare dropped into a very unamused, deadpan look and Hidan suddenly realized he kinda liked that fiery glare of hers.

"No shit, Sherlock. Keen observation - now why don't you stare at something else?"

And then she went right back to ignoring him.

What the actual fuck.

A little pheromone push usually left him with someone's undivided attention and yet this girl apparently had the willpower to just completely ignore him. It was exciting and frustrating all at once and Hidan felt a little panicked at the thought of her not paying attention to him - he liked this chick.

Unfortunately, Hidan's brain had very little reign over his mouth and he couldn't really stop himself from calling out a more-irritated-than-he-would-have-liked, "Oh, Pinky, what's your fuckin' deal?"

Her gaze snapped back up to him and there was that glare again.

 _"Excuse_ me? What's _my_ deal?"

And the unfiltered words just kept coming. Why can't he keep his fucking mouth shut?

"Hey, you're the one that started the fuckin' conversation. I was just minding my own damn business when you decided to start shit!"

She bristled furiously and the people around them looked a little uncomfortable, but he just wished there was a way to make himself fucking _stop._

"You were being a mega-creep!"

"I can look at whatever the fuck I want, Pinky, you just happened to be in my line of sight!"

"Quit calling me that, Jackass!"

Hidan inwardly groaned but, luckily, before he could say anymore stupid shit and piss her off more, the train slowed to a stop, drawing everyone's attention to the sound of the conductor's voice. The girl shot him another glare before standing, obviously done with him.

He could have punched himself in the face for ruining what might have been a really cool encounter with a really interesting, really _pretty_ chick. Hidan desperately tried to come up with some way to apologize without sounding like even more of an asshat before she left, quite possibly forever, when, suddenly, some guy from the back of the compartment rushed past her, snagging her purse and making a run for it.

She looked a little dumbfounded for a moment before realizing what had just happened.

"Shit!"

Before Hidan knew what he was doing, he was on his feet, scrambling out of the train and fully intent on running the thief down.

Tripping over some kid just outside the doors to the train, he ran, only vaguely aware of the kid crying. His thought process was a mess but all he knew was that the girl was exciting and interesting and smelled nice and like _hell_ he was going to pass up a chance to make amends.

Careful not to let too much of that inhuman speed of his slip out in public, Hidan easily ran the thief down, focused entirely on retrieving that purse. The thief eventually realized that he was being chased and ran down a random alley, fumbling with a switch blade.

When Hidan finally cornered him, he gave the blade a bemused look, snickering to himself as they had a little faceoff in the alleyway. While he could easily heal from a cut from the knife, Hidan really didn't want to have to clean up blood stains after such a long day, so he dodged the thief's advances, gaze darting to the purse. Unfortunately, the dodging and sidestepping put the thief in a position where his back was no longer to the dead-end, but instead to the wall of one of the buildings lining the alleyway, the exit now to his left. Hidan grimaced, trying to figure out the best course of action that wouldn't make _too_ much of a mess - he was still a long walk from home.

"Just hand it over, asshole, and I'll let you outta' here unscathed."

"Fuck off," the guy sneered, brandishing his blade, "You're not calling the shots. _I'm_ the one with the kni-"

He was suddenly cut off by a very pissed off, "SHANNARO!" and the pink-haired girl flew in from the way they'd come, a monstrous punch connecting with the thief's face and effectively knocking him onto his ass. Hidan felt that little flutter in his chest again and he sent her a huge grin, quickly retrieving her purse and holding it out to her.

"Sick punch, Pinky. That was pretty fuckin' impressive."

She ignored him, however, in favor of storming her way over to him and grabbing her purse, cutting off his next sentence with a clean right-hook to his cheek, though obviously not as hard as the one she'd given the thief.

Hidan was a little dumbfounded, hand rubbing his cheek as he watched her in surprise.

 _"That's_ for being a jackass on the train. But.. thanks for going after my purse."

She looked pissed but also embarrassed, her cheeks turning pink as she blushed and quickly spun around, hurrying out of the alley way and back onto the street.

As Hidan stood there, rubbing his cheek and sending her back a dreamy look, he knew he was in love.

 **: :**

One could only imagine Sakura's surprise and absolute horror as she walked into the Wold History class on her first day at the university, only to find the silver-haired jerk from the other day sitting in the lecture hall.

He seemed to notice her quickly and sent her an ecstatic look, to which she replied with an exasperated glare. Careful not to stomp _too_ loudly up to the seats, she stopped in front of him and crossed her arms as she gave him a very accusing look.

"Are you following me or something?"

He simply leaned back in his seat, arms crossed behind his head as he grinned slyly up at her.

"Hey, Pinky, I was here first. Looks more like _you're_ the one fuckin' following _me."_

Sakura gave an irritated snort and spun around, posture stiff as she headed for a seat the furthest away from him, though she couldn't help the smallest smile from slipping out.

 **: :**

A month later, he asked her out for the first time, much to her surprise.

And, much to his, she said yes.

 **: :**

 **notes:** so I've legit had this fic idea for well over a year and every once in a while I'd get muse for it, but never during times when I actually had time to write

but finally, here we areeee

a lot of questions I'm sure u have will be answered in upcoming chapters, so no worries u u

still trying to get the muse back for other fics to update, but it's a slow process

thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	2. Chapter One

**_Bad Blood_**

 **\- Chapter One -**

 **No Guts, No Glory**

 **::**

 _Three years later_

 **::**

"We should get a dog."

Sakura didn't reply at first, too focused on copying her written notes over to her laptop, eyes darting from paper to screen. Hidan sent her a bemused look, reclining in his chair at the kitchen table and resting his feet on the tabletop. She could feel him watching her, but was too engrossed in her notes to respond.

"Sak, you listening?"

"Mm-hmm..."

Obviously not, but she did glance to his legs on the table, making a face before tapping his ankle with her pen, a silent command to quit that. He sent her a huff but moved his legs, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table and his chin in his hand, lips pursed as he watched her for another moment.

"I want a dog. We should totally fuckin' get one."

Sakura frowned down at the laptop screen, reaching out blindly for her glass of water, which Hidan silently handed to her when her hand didn't automatically find it. She took a sip, typing out another sentence before finally replying, eyes never leaving the screen.

"You're allergic to dog dander." She mumbled bluntly, setting the glass back down. A quick glance upwards let her catch sight of that little nose wrinkle of his that she thought was cute and Hidan sent her a pout, sitting back up.

"I don't mean something with long ass fur. Short fur, y'know? Something cool like a Rottweiler or a Pitbull. How badass would _that_ be."

Saving her progress, Sakura gently closed her laptop and sat up, arms crossed over her chest as she quirked an eyebrow his way. He replied with a grin, waggling his brows because he knew it made her laugh. Obliging him with a small chuckle, she got up from the table and grabbed her computer and notes, moving towards the living room. He was quick to follow her, brushing past with a quick kiss to her cheek before plopping down on the couch. She moved towards her messenger bag, slipping her notes back in before turning to Hidan, hands on her hips.

"Whaddya say?" He asked with a grin, reaching for one of his medicine bottles on the coffee table, "Would be pretty fuckin' sick, right?"

"And you're gonna walk it?"

"Hell yeah."

She watched him pop off the cap and down a couple of his vitamins - iron supplements for his anemia, he'd explained forever ago - before moving to drop down beside him. His arm quickly found its way around her waist, pulling her close and pressing his face into her hair. Sakura tutted at him, tapping his chin with her finger to get his attention again.

"Seriously? Every day? You _do_ realize that dogs are a lot of work, right?"

"A shit-ton, yeah," He mumbled back, nosing at her ear before reclining back along the length of the couch and dragging her onto his chest. "We'd look so badass, walking through the park with a pair of Dobermans with sweet spiked collars."

She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, letting Hidan run his hands down her arms to play with her fingers.

"A _pair?_ Now you're just being ridiculous."

He replied with a laugh, one hand moving to slip under the bottom of her shirt and trailing over the skin of her stomach, grinning to himself when she couldn't hold back her giggle. His other hand moved up to play with her hair and he let out a contented sigh, mumbling something about Bulldogs into her hair.

Sakura could have very easily laid like that with him, comfortable and happy in the arms of her boyfriend, but a glance towards the clock on the wall had her sighing in disappointment, rolling over onto her stomach and poking at his nose.

"Hidaaan."

He responded with a hum, nose wrinkling and his eyes closed as his hand under her shirt moved to the small of her back.

"I gotta go to wooork."

His groan was immediate, arms wrapping around her as he rolled them over and pinned her between the back of the couch and his body, burying his face in her neck childishly.

"Fuck thaaat. Skip it; those nerds can do without you for one fuckin' day."

She sent him an apologetic smile, managing a small peck to his cheek before squirming out of his hold. Face pressed into the cushions, Hidan gave another groan, half-halfheartedly reaching out blindly for her before going limp on the couch. Sakura dropped one of the discarded throw pillows onto him and turned to grab her bag.

"I'll see you tonight when you get off, 'kay?" She offered, pulling her hair up into a bun. She received only another tired groan in reply and, smiling to herself, she leaned over him to place a chaste kiss to the back of his neck, snickering to herself when he shivered slightly and instantly relaxed like he always did when she kissed him there.

Smiling at his muffled farewell, she headed out.

 **::**

Working at the Yamanaka Botanical Gardens was relatively peaceful. Her work was pretty simple - take care of her grouping of plants and keep data logs of their progress. It delighted Sakura to watch her plants thrive, taking careful notes of their growth rate and gently harvesting samples for the lab. Occasionally, groups taking guided tours through the beautiful gardens would pass by and she'd beam at how they marveled and murmured over the blooms and foliage.

Sometimes a passerby would stop to ask her about some of the plants under her care and Sakura would spend a few minutes offering some of her extensive knowledge. Most of the plants she took care of had medicinal purposes and the work in the botanical gardens was a great help for her botany major. There were other students working at the gardens as well and she'd often share her progress on her work - lore and modern day applications of common medicinal plants.

Still, at the end of the day, she always found it a little ironic that, despite her flourishing plants at the Yamanaka Gardens, she always seemed to forget to take care of her plants at _home._ Luckily, Hidan seemed to have a a green thumb and her houseplants that she neglected thrived nonetheless.

It was always warm and humid in the greenhouse and, wiping some sweat from her brow and humming, Sakura carefully measured her aloe seedlings. Smiling to herself, she scribbled down a few notes before glancing at her watch. Her work day technically ended whenever she was done taking care of her plants, which could take several hours.

Luckily, her afternoon shifts went by quickly when she was engrossed in her work. And, really, she wasn't in much of a rush. Hidan had an evening bar-tending shift tonight and wouldn't be getting off until around midnight, so she had plenty of time to be thorough before heading back home.

Eventually, Sakura was done for the day and spent about a half hour in the break room cleaning up her notes before finally heading out. It always felt a little weird when she had an afternoon shifts and left fairly late in the evening, considering the gardens close to the public in the late afternoon.

Her drive home was uneventful and, glancing at her watch, Sakura noted that she still had a few hours of free time before going to meet with Hidan. A shower and a nap sounded pretty nice but a quick look around the apartment told her that there was a little cleaning to do.

Once she was done organizing and had tossed a load of laundry into the washer, she plopped down on the couch and opened her laptop. Her intention had been to continue with transferring her written notes to her computer but she eventually found herself looking up local animal shelters. Ok, so _maybe_ Hidan's dog-talk earlier that day had stuck with her. Opening a tab on the doggy-profiles, she tried to resist the urge to read through all the hounds ready to be adopted and, instead, focused her attention on looking for a recipe for dinner tomorrow night.

Date night was always fun and tomorrow was Hidan's choice in their activities - which usually meant dinner at home and a gory movie marathon throughout the night. Of course, Sakura was sure to fall asleep around 2 AM; Hidan was _such_ a night-owl, it was ridiculous. Honestly, she much preferred when _he_ was the cook. He had a lot of talent when it came to food and it was such a shame that, despite her suggestions, he had no desire to become a professional chef. Tragic, really.

Still, that meant more delicious food for her.

Eventually she was going to convince him to give her more lessons.

Bookmarking a parmesan-crusted chicken alfredo recipe, she sat back and checked her phone. There were a couple texts from Hidan - selfies taken from unflattering angles that her knew made her smile - and she replied with a couple dog emojis and a winky face as she chuckled to herself, saving the selfies to her phone. Glancing around the living room, she grabbed one of the magazines on the coffee table before laying down the length of the couch, flipping through the pages as she dozed off.

She awoke a couple hours later, face pressed into the arm rest of the couch and her arm numb under her stomach. Letting out a yawn, Sakura rolled over and stretched, reaching blindly for her phone. She eventually found it between the couch cushions and, tossing the (unfortunately) crumpled magazine back onto the coffee table, checked her messages. There were a few more texts from Hidan - a reply containing about twenty dog emojis and way too many exclamation points, followed by a couple more selfies of him making faces into the camera.

Sakura smiled down at her phone, sending him a quick reply before glancing at the time. Running her fingers through her hair, she made her way towards the bathroom to freshen up before heading out. Quickly washing her face to get rid of that lingering groggy feeling from her nap, she grabbed a cap and her keys.

The walk to the club Hidan worked at was about twenty-five minutes from their apartment and while the shortcut through the park would cut about ten minutes off the trip, it was getting dark out and that park was honestly a little spooky at night. There wasn't often much maintenance on it and it was kind of overgrown, blending into a slightly thicker wooded area. The paths only went so far inwards and, while it was a nice place to jog in the daytime, Sakura didn't mind the extra ten minute walk if it meant her path was nicely lit. She and Hidan would probably take the shortcut on the way back, but having him there was definitely more... reassuring.

Stuffing her wallet into her purse, she fitted the hat onto her head and headed out.

The streets were mostly silent considering it was almost midnight and, after sending a quick message to Hidan that she was on her way, she briskly made her way to the club, keys in her fist. It was a nice neighborhood, really, but he was probably going to be a little upset at her walking all the way in the middle of the night.

Still, she made it to the club just fine and the bouncer let her in with a nod when he recognized her, to which she replied with a smile and a wave before bee-lining for the bar.

For someone who got headaches from too-bright lights and complained about occasional sensory overload, Hidan sure had a _funny_ choice in workplaces. Honestly, she had no idea why he liked working here, what with the music so loud that it drowned out her thoughts and the crowd of sweaty, usually drunk, people.

Ok, she could understand that there were few options for people who preferred to work at night and _maybe_ the atmosphere was a little invigorating.

Luckily, the bar was far enough away from the main speakers so it was a little more quiet. Hidan was behind the counter, mixing a drink for one of the clubbers, and he grinned when he spotted her, nodding towards one of the bar-stools. By the time she sat down, he was done with his current customer and moved his attention to her, leaning on the counter with a grin so forcefully-suave, it was cheesy.

"What can I get'cha, miss?"

"Rum and coke, virgin." She replied after a moment's consideration, smiling at his laugh as he reached under the counter and grabbed a can of coke. Popping the tab and pouring it into a glass with a couple ice cubes, he dropped a little cocktail umbrella in and made his way around the counter to leave the bar, his free hand brushing her hip as he stopped next to her, offering the drink. Sakura took a quick sip before reaching out to pick a stray silver hair off his shoulder.

"You about ready to leave?" She asked, taking the mini umbrella and spinning it between her fingers for a moment.

He nodded, running his fingers through his hair as he grabbed her coke and downed about half of the glass.

"Yeah. Been pretty fuckin' slow for a summer night, but I made some good tips." Hidan paused and frowned down at her for a moment, leaning on the counter as he crossed his arms.

"You walked here didn't you?"

Sakura took the glass back and deposited the umbrella on the counter, putting on her best innocent look.

"I wanted to walk you home. Moonlit summer night... kinda romantic, isn't it?"

He didn't look very impressed and simply continued to frown, gaze narrowing when she fluttered her eyelashes at him, before sighing.

"Waste of gas, I know, yada yada. Lemme go clock out and shit. _I'll_ walk _you_ home."

 **::**

As she had suspected, they took the shortcut through the park.

It was well past midnight by the time they got to the path through the park. There were few lampposts (that honestly were a little dim), placed sparsely down the main path but, luckily, it was a clear night and the moon was nearing full, bathing the park in moonlight. While the summer days were annoyingly hot, the evenings, such as this one, had a pleasant chill.

Luckily, it wasn't _too_ cold out because Hidan really didn't have much body heat for Sakura to leech off of. During the winter, it was usually _him_ stealing heat from her. Nonetheless, the walk through the park was nice with Hidan's arm wrapped around her as they talked about their day.

"So," she started when there was a lull in the conversation, "A dog?"

He sent her an excited grin before barreling straight back into gushing over a possible future of them having a dog. She could only smile and laugh at all the talk of studded collars and bad-ass, allergy-friendly mutts, reluctant to let him know that most hypoallergenic dogs were small and cute.

"Only one, though." She said, patting his cheek as they continued their walk.

His pout was precious and he pretended to sulk for a moment, leaning heavily on her as he whined.

She simply replied to his, "Awww, c'mon Sak," with a smile and walked ahead, snorting at him when he flicked the brim of her hat.

It was just her luck that a breeze would come by and lift her hat off of her head before she could adjust it, carrying it away from the path and into the wooded area of the park.

Hidan was obviously holding back a laugh as he pat her shoulder, offering a not-so-apologetic, "Oh, shit, oops."

Sakura sent him a huff before chasing down her hat, Hidan following after her.

Of course, she lost sight of her hat and, while Hidan walked at a sedated pace and leisurely looked for her hat, she squinted into the darkness as she searched bushes and around trees.

"Ridiculous," she muttered under her breath, "Where the heck did it go..?"

Eventually she did find her cap, letting out a triumphant sound as she swiped it off the ground. She hesitated, however, as she moved to put it back on her head. It felt a little... wet? It hadn't rained recently, had it?

"Please don't be dog pee," Sakura mumbled, pulling her phone out of her pocket and using it for light. Inwardly, she berated herself for not using it to search for her hat in the first place.

She turned the white cap over, startled to find the fabric stained red.

Her stomach dropping slightly, she moved her phone light to the ground, taking a step back as she saw more of what only could be blood on the grass. Letting the light travel over more of the ground, she quickly realized that it was a _trail_ of blood.

If there was a trail of blood, then there was most likely an animal or _person_ at the end of it.

Sakura was aware of the sound of Hidan calling out her name, though it sounded a little distant. Shit, they must have gotten separated. While she really wanted to go back and find him, the thought of someone out here in the dark, bleeding and wounded, took center stage of her mind and, with a quick reply of "Over here!" to Hidan, she followed the blood trail.

She could see the probable start of the trail a ways behind her, in the direction of the park path, but the rest of the blood led further into the trees. With her phone light on the blood, she walked for a couple minutes, eventually pausing as she heard movement ahead of her.

She could just barely make out _something_ in the darkness, a crumpled or hunched-over figure on the ground ahead of her. The blood trail led right to the mound and, with the light of her phone she could make out blood stained-cloth. Her urge to rush forward and check on the person was cut short as they suddenly moved, sitting up slightly.

The smell of _way_ too much fresh blood suddenly hit her and Sakura took a hesitant step backwards, her phone lowering slightly as she watched the figure move again, the disturbing, squelching sound of teeth biting into flesh meeting her ears. She quickly realized that there were _two_ people, one laying on the ground while the other hunched over them.

The urge to run hit Sakura square in the chest.

Something _really_ bad was happening and she needed to _go now._

Eyes pinned to the hunched figure, she took a few more careful steps backwards, jaw clenched as the smell of blood became heavier and heavier.

It was so incredibly cliche, she would later think, as she moved backwards and stepped on a stick, the sound of the snap making her heart drop.

The person froze, turning suddenly to look over their shoulder at her, and Sakura's blood ran cold as she stared back at them.

There was blood all over their - his - face, too-sharp teeth bared and his eyes a piercing, inhuman red, glowing in the darkness. A deranged, terrifying smile spread over his face as he noticed her and Sakura realized that she was shaking as he slowly stood, facing her fully and wiping his bloody brown hair away from his face.

Her grip tightened on her phone and hat as the grinning, blood-covered man took a step towards her. It was now that she could get a more clear look at the person laying on the ground, her gaze darting from one person to the other. Only, there _really_ wasn't much to look at. There was so much blood, torn flesh dripping with red and a literal puddle pooling around the body that _surely_ couldn't be alive anymore.

Every instinct she had was telling her to get out of there. To find Hidan and get home and hide and try to get that image of this stranger's bloody face out of her mind. But, she couldn't move, the fear freezing her to the spot and her voice caught in her throat.

Suddenly, before she even knew what had happened, Hidan was standing in front of her, his shoulders tense and his stance stiff and defensive. Startled, she moved towards him, reaching for his arm and trying to get the blood-soaked man into her line of sight again.

Hidan grabbed her wrist and, while his grip was gentle, he firmly moved her backwards again, turning his head towards her while his gaze stayed forward. The look on his face was one she'd never seen him wear before. Jaw set hard and his eyes narrowed in an enraged glare, his upper lip curled back and those magenta eyes of his seemed to glow in the night light.

His gaze darted to her for just a moment, but it was long enough for her to realize that there was a look of not only rage, but absolute _fear_ in his eyes.

The park went silent for a moment, the only sound being that of the bloody man's heavy panting and her own broken, scared breaths.

Hidan crouched slightly to get closer to her face, his breathing even but nearly silent.

"Sakura," he whispered, voice hushed but clear to her ears. Her gaze darted from him to ahead and back again, his grip on her wrist dropping.

 _"Run."_

 **::**

 **notes:** ok, yeah, kinda cheating of me to skip three years of relationship development i knoowww

buttttt, if this fic does well enough and people want it, i miiiight make an accompanying side fic of drabbles of bits of those three years uvu

muuuch longer than the prologue, but! sorry about that cliffhanger hehe

hope you enjoyed! please leave a review if you did!


	3. Chapter Two

_**Bad Blood**_

 **\- Chapter Two -**

 **Fight and Flight**

 **::**

"Sakura. _Run."_

She felt her stomach drop at his words, the disappearance of the comforting weight of his hand on her wrist sending her into a further panic as he focused entirely on the bloody man in front of them.

"Run back to the apartment as fast as you can." Hidan whispered back at her, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "Lock the door and stay inside. Wait for me there and don't open the door for _anyone_."

Sakura took a hesitant step backwards, her eyes on Hidan's back and the sounds of her every move piercing through the silence of the park. Hands shaking and her breath caught in her chest, she just barely heard his last command before Hidan suddenly darted forward, moving impossibly fast as he charged at the other man.

"Go!"

And she _ran_.

Sakura was barely aware of her surroundings as she raced through the trees towards the distant glow of the streetlamp of the park path, her phone and hat clenched tightly in her fists as she breathed heavily. When her feet hit the edge of the path, she stumbled slightly, falling to her knees for the shortest moment before she was scrambling to her feet, eyes wide and the sound of animalistic snarls coming from somewhere behind her. She didn't slow down even when she reached the end of the park, heeding Hidan's words and sprinting all the way back to their apartment.

It was late and the night was eerily silent, the streets empty of both pedestrians and cars, but Sakura barely noticed as her mind was so set on making it home and worrying about Hidan. But she didn't have enough time to properly think - to wonder just _what_ was going on.

When she finally arrived at the apartment complex, she quickly dug her key out of her pocket and raced to their door, fumbling for only a moment to get the key in the lock and her heart pounding in her ears as she glanced around. The moment she was inside, she slammed the door shut behind her and turned the deadbolt, not wasting anymore time before she sprinted to the bedroom. Practically diving under the bed, she quickly searched for the wooden baseball bat she had discarded under there months ago before scrambling back out.

Adrenaline pumping and her legs sore, she ran through the apartment, taking extra precautions by checking to make sure windows were locked and drawing curtains closed as paranoia began to set in with the panic. Once she was sure the apartment was secure, she checked the front door once more before plopping down behind the couch, back against it as she faced the front door, the bat held tightly in her hand and her phone next to her leg.

And she waited.

 **::**

The moment the scent of blood hit Hidan's delicate senses, he knew something was wrong.

Like, _really_ fucking wrong.

His first instinct was to find Sakura, a million thoughts flooding through his mind as he squinted through the darkness, his heightened eye-sight able to pick out her form amongst the trees.

In the direction of the source of the blood.

He cursed under his breath, an unfamiliar feeling of worry beginning to rest heavily in his chest as he crept silently, but quickly, in her direction. The one relief he felt was in the fact that the blood he was smelling _definitely_ wasn't Sakura's, but his panic was steadily growing as he could detect another scent in the air - unfamiliar and familiar all at the same time.

When Hidan finally grew closer to the source of the blood, his suspicions were confirmed at the sight of another vampire (a _feral_ vampire) standing _much too close_ to Sakura, blood covering his face and a mangled corpse behind him. Neither Sakura nor the other vampire had noticed him and Hidan's flustered mind quickly tried to come up with a plan, his body tense and the icy grip of fear for Sakura's - small, fragile, _mortal_ Sakura - safety muddling his thoughts.

His attention was drawn back to the foe vampire as he moved suddenly, taking a step towards the frightened - she was _shaking_ \- Sakura.

Hidan could easily read his intentions and something in him snapped, his body darting forward as he was filled with unbridled _rage._

Like _hell_ he was going to let this fucker hurt her.

Faster than a blink, Hidan was standing in front of Sakura, his stance defensive and protective as all questions of just _what_ a feral was doing here were replaced with a guttural instinct to put himself between the other vampire and his girlfriend. He bared his fangs at the opposing vampire, who simply replied with a crazed smile, an odd look passing through his red eyes. Hidan was aware of the sudden feeling of Sakura's hand resting on his arm, her smaller hands warm against his cold skin, and he was able to see her move slightly out of his peripherals.

Adjusting his stance only slightly, he carefully took her wrist and moved her back, turning his head towards her as he kept his gaze pinned on the feral. In the silence of the park, he could hear the sound of her heart racing and the scent of her fear filled him with an even stronger feeling of anger.

Still, his worry for Sakura weighed heavily on him and, after a quick glance in her direction, he crouched, whispering back her name before telling her to run home.

The feral vampire was watching the scene with wide, excited eyes, pupils narrowed down to slits and his bloodied hands twitching in anticipation.

Hidan moved first.

He darted forward and had his hand's on the feral before the other could react, giving Sakura enough time to race back towards the park path. She was out of sight in mere moments, much to his relief, and he allowed himself to focus on the vampire he'd caught in a choke-hold, unable to detect the scent of any other vampires nearby. The feral snarled, reaching up to dig clawed fingers into Hidan's arm as he struggled violently and tried to free himself. Hidan growled back and tightened his grip, jerking backwards when the other vampire swiped upwards at his face, his claws catching his cheek and drawing blood.

"I know who you are!" The feral hissed out, reaching over his shoulder to claw at Hidan. "The _traitor_."

Gritting his teeth and adjusting his grip when the other vampire tried to sink his teeth into his arm, Hidan ignored his words and tried to force the feral to his knees.

"Why are you here?!" He growled back, magenta eyes narrowed and suspicious. There shouldn't be any feral vampires out and about - there shouldn't _be_ any ferals _at all._ "Who _brought_ you here?!"

Choking for a moment at the pressure of Hidan's arm wrapped around his neck, the other vampire managed to wheeze out a laugh, his grin widening when Hidan flinched as he dug his claws deeper into his shoulder.

"You look just like he described. I hope you enjoyed your brief peace!" Another wheezing cackle before he grunted, finally dropping to his knees as Hidan forced his weight on him. "The war isn't over - you have no idea what's coming, _traitor_."

Growling under his breath, Hidan continued to ignore the feral's taunting until his control suddenly snapped, a vicious snarl ripping through him at the vampire's next words.

"I'd keep an eye on that cute _snack_ of yours. The land will be swarming with more of us before you've even realized the battle has begun and pretty, _tasty_ humans like her will be the first to go."

Before the feral vampire could process what was happening, Hidan had changed his grip on him, his hand on his throat as he slammed him into the ground and bared his fangs, magenta eyes wide in rage at the threat he'd _dared_ direct towards Sakura. A brief flash of fear passed through the other vampire's red eyes but, before he could respond, Hidan had plunged a hand into his chest, his inhuman strength breaking through ribs and blood soaking the sleeve of his jacket. The feral had a split-second to realize what was happening before Hidan's hand found his heart, fingers curling around the barely-beating organ as he ripped it out of his chest.

There was a spray of blood - nasty, decayed blood that smelled vile and had undoubtedly ruined Hidan's clothes - but the feral let out a final wheeze before he fully died, red eyes bulging out slightly before he finally stilled. Panting, Hidan glared down at the corpse, tossing the rotting heart aside before reaching up to grip the talisman around his neck, his nerves starting to calm slightly as his mind worked for answers.

The feral had been a hell of a lot weaker than him, meaning he wasn't that _old_ of a vampire - probably pretty freshly turned - but his words had certainly put Hidan on edge. Gritting his teeth, his wounds already beginning to heal, he quickly turned back the way he'd come and sprinted out of the park as worry for Sakura returned once more.

He had a feeling that things were going to get very bad, _very_ quickly.

 **::**

Sakura wasn't sure how long she sat there, the anxiety of what she'd seen in the park making seconds feel like minutes, minutes like hours. She might have fallen asleep, had her jittery nerves not outweighed how tired she was. So, determined and worried, she watched the door and waited, clutching the bat close. It was silent in the apartment and Sakura inwardly debated turning the lights on several times, but she wasn't sure if it would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Eventually, she was able to hear the soft sound of a _click_ and the door suddenly swung open, making Sakura jump in surprise and shriek as the lights were flicked on before she realized the blood-covered figure standing in the doorway was Hidan, his house key in hand.

His gaze instantly fell on her and a look of relief passed over his face but, as he took a step forward towards her and was probably ready to embrace her, he glanced down at his blood-soaked arm and changed his mind. Instead, he turned back to the open door, glancing out into the night before looking back at her. Sakura scrambled to her feet, heart racing but relieved as well, and was about to ask him what the _hell_ was going on when Hidan motioned for her to stay put.

"Stay here. I gotta go make sure we're safe-"

" _Hidan_ , what the _fu-?!"_

"I'll be back soon." He interrupted, still looking uncharacteristically serious as he hurried back out the door, " _Please_ , Sak. Just trust me and stay inside."

And he was gone, locking the door behind him and leaving her standing there, staring after him with a confused, incredulous expression.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura tightened her grip on the bat and started pacing, inwardly fuming at her boyfriend's actions.

"When he gets back, he's got a lot of explaining to do." She growled under her breath, quickly retrieving her phone in case he called before he returned.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Hidan was sprinting through the neighborhood, checking alleys and streets for any sign of another feral. The air smelled clear but he wanted to be _certain_ that Sakura would be safe. Already, he was making plans on what he should do next, the other vampire's warning still rolling around in his mind and the implications of his words - of the fact that he'd been _here_. Hidan hadn't seen a feral in _decades_ and the fact that one had popped up without warning, roaming free and hunting in a _park_ suggested that shit was going down.

While Hidan was racing around in the night, Sakura had eventually settled down, sitting stiffly on the couch as she stared down at her phone, inwardly debating sending him a text.

He finally returned almost an hour later.

Close to drifting off, she jumped in surprise once more when the door was, once again, flung open before being slammed closed by Hidan, hurriedly locked once more as he quickly checked out the rest of the apartment. Sakura watched him for a few moments before he finally approached, stopping in front of her and dropping a hand on her shoulder as he looked her over.

"Are you okay?"

She took this moment to look Hidan over as well, frowning at his blood-soaked jacket sleeve (he'd fortunately kept that arm at his side) and eyeing bloody spots on his face and arms with worry.

"A-are _you_ okay?"

He blinked in surprise before sending her a small smile, reaching up to his cheek to wipe away a bloody streak and reveal smooth, unharmed skin. "Fuckin' dandy."

Sakura looked a little relieved and Hidan, apparently satisfied, straightened and turned away, reaching into his pocket.

"I gotta make a call real quick-"

" _What-_ "

"Just relax, Sak. Everything's fine-"

"Like _hell_ it is!" Eyes narrowing, she jumped to her feet, reaching for Hidan's arm and shooting him a glare when he dodged out of the way. "What the hell is going on, Hidan?"

He sent her an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his head before grimacing as he realized it was the bloody hand, and continuing to back away from her, heading towards their bedroom.

"I'll explain everything in a bit-"

"Hidan!"

"I just gotta make this fuckin'-"

Quickly slipping into the bedroom, Hidan closed the door and she heard the soft click of the lock turning, anger starting to bubble up in her gut. Growling under her breath, she banged on the door a few times, uncaring of whether she woke the neighbors.

"Get out here! Unless you're calling the police, you have no-"

"Give me, like, fifteen minutes, Sakura!" Came Hidan's muffled reply, interrupting her mid-sentence.

" _Hell_ no. What the fuck is going on?! Who could you _possibly_ need to call?"

"I'll tell you everything after this, I fucking _swear._ "

Making a sound of frustration, Sakura gave the door a final kick before leaning against the wall and dropping to the floor.

"Fine! _Fifteen_ minutes!"

She ignored his muffled reply of thanks and groaned, rubbing her forehead as she waited. Sakura tried to listen in on his conversation, barely able to make out an unfamiliar name and a request for them - whoever they were - to come over as soon as possible. His voice was hushed in parts and she eventually gave up on eavesdropping, glaring at the wall as she mentally sorted out her questions.

The call took about twenty minutes.

When the sound of muffled conversation finally stopped, Sakura was more than annoyed. She'd gone back to the couch to grab her phone and then paced around the apartment for a few minutes before grabbing a glass of water and heading back to the short hall outside their bedroom. Leaning against the wall, she glared at the door and waited, shifting slightly when the room went silent.

"Sak?" Came Hidan's voice, sounding tired but more at ease than before. "You still out there?"

"Yes. Are you going to start explaining now?"

He was silent for a moment and Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"I'm gonna... get cleaned up real quick."

 _"Excuse_ me? You said fifteen minutes!"

"There's a lot of fuckin' blood, alright? I'm just gonna take a fast shower."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Sakura sighed and pressed her back against the wall. " _Fine_. Just hurry up, okay?"

A pause.

"...You wanna join me?"

 _"Hidan."_

His laugh was almost immediate, but Sakura wasn't very amused.

"Kidding, kidding. I'll be out in a bit."

She listened to the sound of movement on the other side of the door, frowning as she crossed her arms and started pacing once more before pausing when the sound of muffled, running water met her ears. Sighing, Sakura grabbed her phone and browsed through her emails as she waited, inwardly wondering exactly _how_ Hidan had managed to get covered in so much blood.

She felt a little queasy at the thought.

Eventually, the sound of water stopped and she could hear movement again, listening to Hidan undoubtedly dry off and change into a fresh set of clothes. Glancing down at her own sweat-stained attire, Sakura grimaced and made a mental note to change clothes as well, as soon as possible. When the door finally opened, Sakura was standing in the middle of the hall, arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently as she frowned up at Hidan, his hair still damp and dripping water onto the carpet.

"So, uh..."

Her hand shot out and she grabbed his wrist, tugging him into the living room and pushing him down onto the couch, hands on her hips as she stood in front of him and frowned.

"Start talking."

"Okay, so, uh-" He paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for the right words, "Y'know how- Fuck, uhm..."

Waiting patiently, Sakura quirked an eyebrow before moving to sit next to him, sitting cross-legged as she faced Hidan. He let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair and flinging water droplets at the movement before turning to face Sakura as well, a hesitant look crossing his face before his expression turned determined.

"Alright, Sak. I'm gonna shoot straight with ya. There's something I should have fuckin' told you years ago..."

She frowned, reaching out to rest her hand on his arm as, inwardly, she wondered just _what_ this had to do with the murderer in the park. Still, she sent him a small, supportive smile, fighting down her irritation and scooting closer to him.

"I'm listening."

Another nervous sigh. Fingers twitching for a moment, Hidan reached for her hand and laced their fingers together, regarding her silently for a moment before biting his lip.

"I'm a vampire."

She was silent for a few seconds, eyes widening slightly and her lips parting as she stared at him. He watched her nervously, waiting for her response and hoping she didn't flip out. Finally, she blinked and-

And reached up to rub her forehead, groaning in irritation as she shot Hidan an annoyed look.

"Seriously, Hidan - I'm freaked out enough after that shit in the park. Can you take this seriously for _two seconds_ and-"

"I _am_ being serious, Sakura!" He interjected, looking a little frantic. "Serious as the fucking _plague_. Which fucking _sucked_ , y'know-"

" _Hidan-_ "

"I mean it! Here, watch, I'll just-" Hidan stands up, looking around the room before darting towards the kitchen. Sakura let out a surprised yelp when he moved, much faster than any person should be able to. He returned in seconds with a steak knife in his hand, quickly drawing the blade over his palm and slicing through the skin. She scrambled to her feet in panic, grabbing his hand and trying to snatch the knife away.

"What are you _doing?!_ Are you-?!"

"Just _watch_." He insisted, showing his bleeding palm to her. And, as Sakura stared, she could see the skin quickly begin to knit itself back together and, incredulous, she reached out to wipe away the blood, staring in confusion at his healed, perfectly smooth hand. Grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand closer, Sakura frowned as she inspected his unblemished skin before finally stepping back and dropping back down onto the couch, sending Hidan an unbelieving look.

"What the- How the _hell_ did that..."

"I told you, Sak." He moved, sitting back down beside her as he watched her hesitantly, half expecting her to recoil away from him. "I'm a vampire."

Sakura frowned to herself, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Still, she reached out for the tissue box on the coffee table in front of them, grabbing a handful before snatching his hand back and starting to wipe the blood away.

"That's not _possible_. I don't- You can't be-" Her gaze snapped up at him, lips pulled down in a frown, and Hidan actually flinched, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand. Pointing at him, she tapped a finger to his chest.

"Sunlight! We've been to the _beach_ and you didn't even get _burned._ "

Hidan let out a sigh that sounded a little more relieved than she would have expected - inwardly he was _ecstatic_ ; this was going a lot better than he ever expected. Reaching past the collar of his shirt and under the fabric, he pulled out that odd necklace he always wore, flashing the charm - a simple metal circle with an upside-down triangle in the center - at her.

"See this?"

"Your... lucky charm?"

He sent her a grin, chuckling to himself before dropping the talisman and letting it rest against his chest.

"It's bewitched. It let's me be out in the day, soaking up those UV rays without fucking me up." She frowned, eyes narrowing at the necklace, and he continued. "Take it off when I'm under the sun and, poof, I'm a hunky pile of ash."

Letting out a groan, Sakura leaned back and rubbed her face, searching for some sort fact to disprove what he was saying as she tossed the bloody tissues onto the coffee table.

"This has to be a joke. I've never seen you drink blood before."

Hidan shifted, digging into his pocket for a moment before pulling out the bottle of what she recognized as his iron supplements. She quirked an eyebrow at him, expression confused.

"These are blood tablets." He explained, popping the cap and shaking a few of the pills into his hand. "They're like tofu for vamps. Though a lot fuckin' stronger in comparison."

"You're not a vegetarian." Sakura blurted out, as if it was a proper counterpoint. Hidan just laughed, dropping the tablets back into the bottle and screwing the cap back on before tossing it onto the coffee table as well, reaching for her and pulling the bewildered Sakura into his lap.

When he opened his mouth to laugh, however, her eyes zeroed in on those odd, slightly elongated canines of his and, suddenly, it all seemed to click.

"Oh my god." She said, back pressed against his chest and his hands playing with her fingers. "You're _serious_."

Hidan nuzzled the back of her head, _incredibly_ relieved that she wasn't screaming and freaking out. "I'm always serious, Sak."

She shot him a deadpanned look at that and he laughed again, wrapping his arms around her.

" _That's_ why you're always so damn _cold._ "

"Mm-hmm."

Glancing back at him, Sakura's mind reeled, bringing up all the odd quirks and habits of Hidan's that she'd noticed over the past three years.

"So you're not actually anemic, are you?. And I thought the teeth were genetic or something. And- And! You never tan. You're still as pale as when we first met."

"Hey! Don't fuckin-"

She twisted around in his hold and rose to her knees, grabbing his face and pulling up his lip to check those teeth of his once more before making eye-contact and frowning to herself.

"Are the eyes a vampire thing too? I always thought the whole violet thing was weird..."

Hidan sent her a pout, crossing his arms over his chest before she laughed, giving his nose a quick peck when it did that cute wrinkle.

"You're taking this pretty damn well, Sak. If I'd known you'd be this chill about it, I'd have told you when we first moved in together."

Leaning against him, Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, groaning into his shirt.

"Oh, believe me, I'll probably flip the fuck out in the morning. I'm still pretty much in shock from the..."

She shuddered, but was aware of Hidan stiffening slightly at her words, his arms quickly wrapping around her and holding her close for a few moments until she pulled back.

"Holy shit, _that's_ why you hate garlic."

He made a face and she frowned, head tilting slightly when he let out a weak laugh.

"That's, like, fuckin' bullshit the media started somewhere. My senses are just _super_ fucking sensitive and garlic destroys my nose."

Sakura blinked, holding her finger up in realization. "Your allergies."

"Bingo."

Grunting, Sakura leaned against him again, curling up against his chest and frowning to herself before glancing up at him again, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Is that why you like it when I bite your neck when we're making out? Hell, when I _kiss_ your neck."

He sent her a grin, scooting down the couch so that he could lay down, snickering under his breath while she continued to watch him. "Nah, that's just a general turn on for me."

She sent his shoulder a soft punch, smiling back down at him before a thought occurred to her. Reaching for his left hand, she grabbed his wrist and pulled it up to her face, running her thumb over the faint scars marking the middle of his forearm. They were the only scars Hidan possessed and the reveal of his healing abilities certainly had her reconsidering the origin of the marks.

"You told me a dog bit you. But that isn't true, is it?"

Hidan was quiet for a moment, his other hand raising to touch the scars as well before he draped the arm over the small of her back, sighing to himself as she watched him.

"No." He paused. "A total fucking _dickwad_ bit me."

Sakura sent him a confused look but he simply pulled her closer, burying his face in her shoulder as she continued to speak, connecting more dots to this whole vampire reveal.

"No _wonder_ you did so well in those history classes. I thought you were just a huge nerd."

He muffled his snicker in her shirt, rolling over onto his side and moving her with him. " _Man,_ it was so much fun to see you get so frustrated when I got higher scores on tests. But, damn, I can't tell you how many times I had to keep my mouth shut when professors starting spewing shit that ain't true. Like, I've _been_ there, _done_ that and you're totally fuckin' wrong, Teach."

She suddenly pulled back, looking up at him with a serious and slightly nervous expression.

"Wait, so... Uh..."

Hidan quirked an eyebrow at her, crossing an arm behind his head as he waited.

"How..." Sakura bit her lip hesitantly before continuing, her hand gripping the front of his shirt.

"How _old_ are you..?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging, resting a hand on her waist. "I don't fuckin' remember how old I was when I was turned, to be honest. I told you I was twenty-three when we met, right? That's probably close enough."

"No, no, I mean..." She glanced away, looking a little embarrassed until she glanced back to him. "How long have you _been_ twe-"

He quickly interrupted her, sending the pinkette a deadpan look as he groaned.

"Don't pull that _Twilight_ bullshit with me, Sak."

She blushed but sent him a glare, huffing under her breath before attempting to cross her arms. "Just _tell me_. How long have you been a vampire?"

Hidan paused, his expression turning serious before he glanced away.

"A while."

She punched his shoulder, a little harder than necessary.

"Kidding, kidding!" Snickering to himself, he feigned rubbing his shoulder and sent her a wink before he frowned to himself, thinking silently. "Shit, I dunno. Since, like, the Feudal Era? I don't remember much from those super early-on years - I'm pretty sure I took a decade-long nap at some point."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, catching the way he licked his lips - a quirk of his that meant he was lying - but didn't press for details. Sighing, she leaned against him, finally allowing herself to think back to what she'd seen in the park. After a few silent moments of him holding her, his hand rubbing her back soothingly, she finally spoke again.

"Hidan?"

"Mm, yeah, Sak?"

They both sounded tired and, inwardly, Sakura was sure they'd both end up drifting off to sleep if they laid there for much longer. Better to ask her questions now when she was still awake.

"That man in the park, the one covered in blood..." He was silent, stiffening slightly, but she continued, pulling back a bit to look up at his face. "He was a vampire too, wasn't he?"

Hidan slowly nodded, his grip on her tightening slightly. "Yeah. A super shitty type of vampire."

Sakura frowned in confusion but pressed on, hesitating for only a moment. "After I ran, what happened? You fought him, didn't you? Did you... _kill_ him?"

" _Technically_ he was practically already a walking corpse but, er, yeah, I killed him..."

He was a little surprised by the look of _relief_ that passed through her eyes before she buried her face in his chest again, squirming closer.

"He won't be showing up again - _good_. God, I'd never been so scared. There was so much blood..."

Hidan shifted slightly before holding her close, running his fingers through her pink hair.

"There's something else I gotta tell you, Sakura." She looked up at him, expression curious, if a little unsure, and he continued, his expression turning serious once more. "It isn't safe here. Shit is gonna get bad - I don't know when, but I have a feeling its gonna be fuckin' sooner rather than later."

Eyebrows furrowing, she sent him a worried look and her grip on his shirt tightened. "Are we... Is there somewhere that _is_ safe?"

Hidan sent her a reassuring smile and nodded, playing with her hair absentmindedly.

"I called a buddy of mine for some help. He should be here in the morning and we'll-"

He was interrupted, however, but a sudden knock on the door and, after exchanging hesitant glances, the pair simultaneously sat up and peered over the top of the couch.

 **::**

 **notes:** 2017 is the year thirrin returns to fanfiction apparently hello

been a while, but! i finally got to work on this chapter and here we are. i started working on this chapter months ago but? when i went looking for the word doc today i couldn't find it anywhere so i had to start from scratch.

the whole vampire reveal conversation has literally been in my head for years and was one of the first driving inspirations to this fic and im so glad i finally got to write it (here's hoping i didn't forget any bits from when i first came up with the convo forever ago...)

hope you enjoyed! please leave a review if you did!


End file.
